A Stroll Through Time
by Shadowhunter 2001
Summary: Tessa and Will travel through time with Henry's new invention. They go through painful and happy memories, and they also make new ones. They meet new people both from the past and future. A whole new adventure for the Shadowhunters!
1. The Answer

They were all in the drawing room. If it had been a couple of years ago, it would have meant that there was something important to discuss. But now, they were all just sitting together, enjoying the company of one another in silence.

Will was reading next to Tessa, occasionally reaching for her hand and massaging it with his thumb, gently playing with her wedding ring.

Gideon and Sophie where having a small conversation on the couch, laughing softly.

Cecily and Gabriel were playing a game of chess in one corner, and you could tell Cecily was winning because of Gabriel's look of defeat.

Charlotte was watching her son crawling around, encouraging him with small cheers and claps. And Henry was scribbling frantically in some notepad of his, next to his wife and son.

Tessa really enjoyed evenings like this. There weren't many moments like this often in their lives, so she always tried to commit them to memory to remember at less peaceful times.

She was about to make a comment about how distressed Gabriel's face looked, when Henry exclaimed, "Charlotte!"

She quickly looked up, startled from his sudden outburst. "What is it, Henry?"

His eyes were huge, and he was chuckling with something Tessa identified as amazement. "I think I have it."

Charlotte gaze looked troubled. "You think you have what, darling?" Everyone was staring at Henry with some worry. He had practically been killed two years ago. Now everyone was as cautious as ever around him, tending to his every need.

It annoyed him some, but Tessa knew he was grateful for their concern. But certainly not now.

"I'm not having a stroke, so you can all exhale now." Henry said. Will laughed, while everyone slowly did as Henry said.

"I think I have the answer to traveling in time." He said.

* * *

No one said anything. The only sound was Gideon choking on his tea.

Charlotte was about to speak when Charles started to cry. Henry wheeled next to his child and picked him up by the armpits, cuddling him close to his chest.

"Oh, I think he's just tired." Henry said.

Charlotte took that as an opportunity to leave and talk. She stood up, and pushed Henry out of the room.

Charles cooed and giggled some when his father made funny faces at him. Charlotte couldn't help but smile. _My two men. _

When they got to their room, Charles had already fallen asleep. Charlotte carefully placed him on the crib Henry had made for him, giving him a kiss on the head and whispering, "I love you."

She turned around to a smiling Henry. "What?" She asked, confused.

"I just love watching you with our son." He said. Charlotte smiled, thinking the same about him.

Then she remembered what she wanted to talk about in the first place. She quickly changed her look to one of business.

"Henry." She said. Her voice came out so harsh she surprised herself. "Henry," She tried again, "We need to talk."

She could see in Henry's eyes that he understood what she meant, so he got right to the point.

"It's a new project I'm working on. I will have to summon Magnus to help me with some details."

"You will do no such thing." Charlotte said, her arms across her chest. Henry was about to protest when she held up a hand. "We have a child to think about, Henry. And you are unwell."

Henry's jaw clenched. "Don't treat me like an invalid. I am in as much of a well state as I ever will be. This chair doesn't mean I am unable to do things other people with functioning legs do."

Charlotte was shaking with anger. "This—" she pointed to the chair that Henry was so furiously clutching to, "—this _chair _is a constant reminder of your _near-death!"_

Henry's gaze softened when Charlotte started to cry.

_He is so ignorant!_ She thought. If something happened to him, he would not only affect himself, but he would also affect everyone surrounding him.

"I just don't want to lose you." She said, so low that Henry was just able to hear her.

"What will I do, if I lose you?" She gasped for air. She didn't like to think about that, but right now, it was inevitable.

"Don't ever worry about that, dear." Henry soothingly said. "Because you won't lose me. I promise you." He opened his arms, inviting her to hug him.

Charlotte practically ran to him, hugging him as hard as she could. She felt like a little child in his lap. But she felt safe. Something was telling her to believe him.

And she did.

* * *

**A/N: **

**1\. THANKS FOR READING! This is the second ****fanfiction story I've written, so I really appreciate another human reading it.**

**2\. PLEASE REVIEW! I'm new to this whole writing thing, so if anyone can give me advice/tips on how to improve my writing, please do!**

**3\. English is _not_ my first language, and I'm pretty young (young enough to still be in middle school), so please take that into consideration.**

** I will try to update as soon as possible. School just started, and I'm trying to get better grades. Please be patient. **


	2. Curiosity

Charlotte had finally given in to Henry. It had been three weeks now, and Tessa barely saw him out of his work area. He skipped most meals, and the new maid or Charlotte had to bring the food to him.

Tessa wondered how he would make it work. She had many questions to ask him, but he was never around.

So she asked them to Will. "What do you think Henry is doing down there?"

They were in their chambers, getting ready to sleep. Tessa was brushing her hair, while Will was already settled on the bed, reading.

Without putting his book down he said, "Probably a portal. But one that allows you to travel in time, of course."

_That makes sense_, she thought. Henry already knew how to create a portal. He only needed to make it time travel. Easy for sure.

"When do you think it will be ready?" She asked.

"It depends on how fast Henry works." Now he did put his book down. His gaze was intent on hers. "Why are you so interested in this?"  
Tessa shrugged. "I'm just curious, that's all."

Will raised his eyebrows. "You know, there's a saying in Spanish that says curiosity is bad."

"There is?" Tessa said with mock interest.

Will didn't seem to be bothered by her snickers when he spoke. "_La curiosidad mató al gato._ Curiosity killed the cat."

"First of all," Tessa said, setting the brush on her dresser. "I am no cat." She walked over to the bed, shoving Will off what had become her side.

"And curiosity will certainly not kill me. You don't have to worry about that."

"I always worry." Will said, kissing her forehead before turning off the lights.

* * *

Henry showed up tardy for breakfast the next morning.

"Magnus stayed up late with me last night, helping me finish the portal." He said, eating a piece of bread. "We think it's ready."

"Are you going to test it on anything?" Cecily asked.

Henry didn't answer her question. "I expect to see all of you at noon."

There was no need to say where. But Tessa wondered, what could be so important that he needed to gather all of them?

She turned to Will and saw the same question in his eyes.

* * *

"I will explain everything once Cecily and Gabriel get here." Henry announced.

They were in Henry's work area, where papers full of sketches littered the floor and walls, except for a door-like figure on the near wall.

Will was about to get up and drag them here himself, when the door opened and the two of them came rushing in.

"About time, don't you think?" Will said, irritated by the way Gabriel held his little sister's hand. They were both in better terms now, but that didn't mean Will couldn't act like the protective older brother he was supposed to be.

When they settled down, Henry clapped his hands twice as to grab their attention. There was no point in doing that, for everyone was already staring at him intently.

"I will get right to the point," He said, "I need two to test the portal."

"Two what?" Charlotte asked.

"Two people, of course." Henry said. "Preferably two people named Will and Tessa."

There was silence. Then, "We will do it." Tessa broke it.

Will turned to her, his look one of confusion. "What? No we are not. It hasn't even been tested yet. Anything could go wro—"

"That's why Henry needs us." She replied.

"Magnus and I have already taken every precaution as to make sure nothing goes wrong." Henry interrupted. "The chances of something going wrong are three out of fifteen."

"I won't take that chance." Will said, his voice grave.

"You don't even know what we're to do." Tessa said, with frustration in her tone.

Before Will could reply with some smart retort, Henry interrupted once again.

"It's really simple, actually. This time machine works just like a portal. Just think about someone or something—with a time period in mind, of course—and it should take you right to it."

Tessa turned to whisper to Will. "Please, Will." She said.

"I can see that you are not just curious." He replied, referring to the talk they had the night before. "This is too risky, Tessa."

"It's exciting." she said.

On the other couch, Cecily cleared her throat.

"Gabriel and I can do it." She offered. Gabriel turned to give her a distressed look.

"I would prefer for Tessa and Will to do it." Henry said.

"Why us?" Will asked.

Henry smiled a rueful smile. "Because you're the next closest thing to _parabatai_." He replied. "If Jem had still been here, I would have asked you, Will, and him to test it."

The room grew silent once again. The memory of Jem still stung to everyone, but it certainly affected Will the most. He was now imagining him and his _parabatai_, setting off to new adventure.

The thought hurt too much. _What could have been doesn't exist._ He mentally chastised himself for thinking about that.

Will looked at Tessa again, and saw what was probably the reflection of his own pained look.

At that moment, he realised that they both needed this. A distraction. To form new memories. So he said, "We will do it."

Tessa quickly looked up, her eyes sparkling a little. Will couldn't identify if it was of tears of sadness or excitement. Probably both.

"Let's get on with it, then." Henry said, wheeling to a nearby table to grab his steele.

Will and Tessa stood up, going to where Henry was already creating the portal on the free space of wall.

"You have to commit the whole experience to memory." Henry said. "As soon as you get back here, pen and paper will be waiting for you to write on."

"How do we get back?" Tessa asked. Will noticed that she was getting a little bit nervous. So was he.

"The portal should remain there for about half an hour. Plenty of time for you to explore."

A wall of green lights appeared where Henry had been writing. The portal was waiting.

Will took Tessa's hand anxiously in his while Henry wheeled back some safe distance away.

"Try to go to the time when Charles was born." Henry said loudly to be overheard the portal's humming.

"Don't try to scare any of us!" Gideon exclaimed, a small smile on his lips.

"Don't come into contact with _any_ of us," Henry said. "It could disrupt anything."

Will and Tessa both nodded in understanding.

Clenching Tessa's hand tighter, Will turned to her and asked, "Are you ready?"

Tessa massaged their joined hands with her free one. "I'm ready when you are."

With that, they both walked through the portal, falling into nothingness. Never letting go of each other.

* * *

**A/N: I hope I didn't make you guys wait for long. I started working on this chapter ever since I uploaded the first one, and I wanted to make it better than the last one (that I later realised wasn't as good as I thought). I will post the third chapter soon. Please bear with me.**

**Hearts With Love: I'm so glad you liked my story! I hope you like this second chapter too.**

**MagicMissy: Here's your update! Thank you so much for making my story one of your ****favourites. **

**DeepthaHerondale8D: I appreciate your understanding. Thank you for following/favouriting (is that even a word)? my story. **

**SNEAK PEAK: The next chapter's name will be ****_A Stroll Through Time_****.**


	3. A Stroll Through Time

Tessa felt the floor give under her. Right away, a tingling darkness engulfed her, the strong wind untangling her hair from her chignon. She felt as if she were spinning, but she never felt dizzy.

She was starting to worry when they didn't land in under a minute. What if they got lost in this portal, never finding their way back?

As if on cue, they hit the ground.

Tessa gasped as pain stabbed up her leg. She had lost Will's hand, and she couldn't see him anywhere.

"Will!" She whispered. They where in a dark room for sure. Tessa could barely make out the rocks that littered the room, as well as the balcony above. Wait a minute—_rocks?_

_ "_Tessa!" She could hear Will scrambling toward her a few feet away. "Are you injured?" He asked once he reached her.

Tessa didn't want to admit it, she wanted to say that it wasn't that bad. But she could feel hot liquid running down her leg, and just thinking about standing standing up made her cringe in pain.

She nodded, then figured Will couldn't see her in the darkness. "Yes." She said in a small voice.

She expected Will to start chastising her, saying that he was right to not come here, but he just sighed. "Where?" He asked.

"My leg." Tessa replied. After inspecting it with just touch, Will got to work. Tessa could hear him ripping his shirt, then gently wrapping it tightly over above her wound. Then he ripped another piece to cover the actual wound.

"There." He said, kneeling back. After Tessa resentfully thanked him and mentally hit her head for being stupid enough to get hurt, she asked what both of them were wondering.

"Where are we?"

"Probably the library." Will replied. He sounded uneasy. "The rest of them should be in the drawing room."

"Will," Tessa padded the floor for his arm. When she caught it, she rested her hand on his shoulder. "There is no balcony in the library." She felt his laugh through her fingertips before she heard it. "Or rocks, for that matter." He said, laughing harder.

Tessa kept quiet until he stopped. "Will—" She began, but he interrupted her.

"I hadn't noticed," He said, his voice now in a more grave tone. "That the portal was gone."

Tessa's eyes widened with fear. She turned to look back, only to confirm he was right. There was no portal.

She began to panic. Her breathing became quicker, and she was sure she was about to scream, when the door on the far wall opened and light flooded the room.

Figures dressed in black came rushing in, with the sound of shouts and metal scraping against metal following.

The impact had momentarily blinded Tessa, so they were only black blurs.

By then, Will had already grabbed Tessa and was hurrying to get to a dark corner where they would not be seen. He settled her beside him, gripping her hand. They where camouflaged by a bulk of metal, and Will peeked through a whole, impatient to see who were the dark figures.

Meanwhile, Tessa could only hear what was happening. She heard screams, thuds, more metal scraping against metal—and then silence.

"What's happening, Will?" She whispered. The silence caused the hairs on the back of her neck to rise.

He didn't answer, so she pushed him away. He didn't resist, for he had a weak look on his face. This made Tessa all the more to want to look through the whole.

And when she did, she felt her face contort with pain. Not pain for her leg—at this time, it was completely numb—but pain for a memory she was trying to forget.

* * *

Will's heart was beating so hard against his chest, he feared it might burst. He was feeling so dizzy, he was glad he was already on the ground.

He waited for Tessa to turn around and look at him, to react just as he had, weak and confused.

But she didn't. She kept looking throughout the whole, completely still. Will could imagine exactly what she was seeing. He remembered it exactly like it was yesterday.

Tessa would see herself surrounded by everyone she loved and who loved her, with Charlotte kneeling over Henry, tears streaming down her face, Magnus at their side. She would see Mortmain in the balcony, looking down on them as his clockwork machines attacked, with Cecily, Gabriel, Gideon, Sophie, Will and Jem fending them off. _Jem. _

Seeing him hurt Will. Seeing him once again fighting next to his past self hurt more. Knowing that he was witnessing their last fight together made him want to curl up and sob.

He was contemplating the idea, to let himself go and cry until his eyes were dry, just one more time, when he felt the end of Tessa's dress ruffle the floor.

He looked up to see that Tessa was slowly limping towards the scene. Towards Jem.

"Tessa!" He scream-whispered, trying to grab hold of her dress with no avail. He got up, and nearly froze at the sight of Jem once again. The image stabbed his heart.

He tried to get to Tessa as unnoticed by the others as possible. All of his efforts went to waste when Tessa shouted Jem's name. Thankfully no one other than Jem turned.

He seemed to turn in slow motion, his still pale but almost completely black eyes looking for Tessa. The marks on his face relaxed just a bit when he saw she was safe. She as in _Past Tessa._

Tessa realised this as well, and she desperately tried to run to him. It took all of Will's will power to not run to him too. He grabbed Tessa firmly by the waist while she tried to wrestle free. "Jem!" She was sobbing for him.

"_Jem!" _She screamed. The sound tore Will's heart apart even more. He hadn't noticed that he was crying as well. "Tess," He tried to hug her tighter to his chest. "Tessa." His voice broke and she stopped struggling.

The look in her eyes was as wild as a rabid animal's. She looked lost and confused. Will saw his own reflection in her grey eyes to realise that he looked the same.

"Will," She was shaking, her eyes darting to look everywhere. "Why are we here?" She gasped for air, gripping the sides from his ripped shirt.

Will had an idea. After Henry's comment of Jem going with Will instead of Tessa if he was still there, he couldn't stop thinking about him. He was sure Tessa had thought about him too. So they ended in the last place they had seen him.

In those few seconds that Will held Tessa, time seemed to fly past. Past Tessa was talking to Mortmain, and just when Will knew she was about to turn into an angel, the portal came back.

Will was surprised that he didn't want to leave. As hurtful as this moment was, he wanted to stay a little longer.

But he knew he couldn't. If he stayed for even a minute longer, he knew he would never be able to leave.

Just as Past Tessa made the room explode in gold, Will lifted his Tessa to his arms, and made a run for the portal. He expected no one to see them, but when he turned his head to get one last look at the scene, he saw Past Henry looking directly at them. Will didn't know what else to do but nod at him. Then, he entered the portal.

* * *

They were all relieved when Tessa and Will got back. They had been waiting in Henry's study, and Charlotte could feel the anxiety in the air. She could almost read the negative "What ifs" of everyone. _What if they never come back? What if they meet their past selves? What if they change history, but in a way they're not supposed to?_

As soon as they got back, Tessa was rushed to the infirmary and Will to their room to get changed. As Charlotte tended to Tessa's injured leg she noticed how quiet she was. They all wanted to know what had happened, but neither of them would talk about it. Their far-away look concerned everyone.

As soon as Charlotte finished stitching Tessa's leg, she fell into what seemed like a hundred-year sleep.

She grabbed a chair and sat next to her, reading a book and occasionally checking for signs of consciousness. Will came later in the evening and sat at the foot of the bed.

"How is she?" He asked Charlotte. She folded the corner of the page she was on and set the book on the nightstand. "She is going to be fine. She just needs rest." She noticed Will had dark circles under his eyes.

"As do you." She added.

Will chuckled. "I shall," He said. "But first I need to speak to Henry."

* * *

**A/N: I'm so so so so so sorry I made you guys wait so long for an update. I had tons of homework (my teachers don't seem to realise I have other classes besides theirs), and I got writer's block. I had already part of this chapter done, but I re-wrote it because I didn't like it. Please be patient for the next chapter. IT WILL COME. I promise.**

**_Kokokirakenaquila:_ In Spanish, that's what the metaphor says, nothing more. I guess they added "but satisfaction brought it back" in English. Thank you for reading it!**

**_Spectaculaire: _Thank you so much! :D**

**_MagicMissy: _Thank you for the suggestion, but as you can see, I had another idea planned. Hope you like it!**

**_SaneLilies:_ Your profile picture makes your comment so funny. I hope you like it!**

**_Guest: _I'm so sorry that it didn't come "soon." I hope you're satisfied with it.**

**_rebecca de silva: _HAHAHA! Your comment made me feel as Rick Riordan must have felt when he wrote the end of Mark of Athena. **


	4. Aftershock

As soon as Will left the infirmary, he slowly headed towards Henry's study. He needed time to organise his scattered ideas, for he wasn't sure what to ask. In the end, he decided that he was going to be as straightforward as possible.

After some time of hesitating, he knocked Henry's door harder than he intended and cringed. "Henry?" Will called. "I need to speak to you."

He could hear Henry wheeling to open the door, but was surprised to be pulled in as quickly as he opened it. Henry didn't even give Will a chance to react to what had happened when he started ranting. "For heaven's sake, Will!" Henry started. "What happened? Where did you land?"

Will sat down in one of the nearby chairs and stared at the space the portal had occupied on the wall earlier that evening. He turned to look at Henry, but he interrupted.

"Don't even think on telling me lies, since it is obvious you didn't land on Charles' birth day." Henry crossed his arms. "Now, out with it."

Will simply stared at Henry. He kept replaying Henry's gaze never leaving them as they hopped into the portal once again. _But, how can that be? _

"I know you saw us." Will finally spoke. Henry's reaction was a confused one. "What do you…" He trailed off, and Will observed how the ginger's lips parted and his eyes widened with realisation.

Henry bowed his head. "I see." He nervously started to tinker with the pen that so happened to be on his lap, disarming it and arming it again. "I am so sorry." Henry whispered, and Will realised he was apologising for having to re-experience something that continued to make everyone's heart ache.

They both sat in silence for a few moments, each mourning Jem, until Will gathered up the courage to break it. "You knew it was possible, then." He said. "Time traveling, I mean."

Henry looked up and nodded, making it obvious that he was glad for the change of subject. "At first, I thought it was all just an illusion, since I was only half conscious." He said. "However, after pondering over it for some days, I decided to give it a go."

Will frowned. "Why?" He asked.

Henry paused at his question. Then, "I asked that to myself countless times while I struggled to reach a real time traveling formula." He said. "I always thought that it was for a greater cause, a major breakthrough in Shadowhunter history." Henry turned to look at Will. "But now that you ask me," He paused once again, "I have no idea."

* * *

Tessa woke up with an itch in her leg. When she reached under the sheets, she felt tiny bumps that hurt when she pressed too hard. She quickly pulled the sheets off to reveal a stitched leg speckled with a bit of dry blood. _What in the world?_

As soon as she realised that she was in the infirmary, she started to panic. She didn't remember anything of how she got that wound, and she was all alone. Tessa was about to go search for someone—_anyone_—but as soon as her feet brushed the cold floor, everything came rushing back.

She sucked in a hard breath. _Jem._

Oh, how she terribly wished all of that had been a bad dream. She shut her eyes closed, thinking that if she pressed them hard enough, the burning image of their last fight together would vanish. It hurt too much to think of.

She quickly realised that it wouldn't work. With a sigh, Tessa pushed herself off the bed and limped towards the door. Once outside, she went in search for her husband, who surely was dealing with some pain of his own. However, she got intercepted by Gabriel.

"You shouldn't be out of bed." He said. Tessa stood up straighter and started to limp around him with dignity, determined to find Will. Unfortunately, Gabriel would simply not give.

"I mean it, Tessa." He said. Tessa looked at him, and she could perceive his genuine concern, which both surprised and touched her. He hadn't shown much of an interest in her since he moved in with Cecily. "I must find Will." Tessa said. "So if you will please excuse me…" She gently pushed him aside, but Gabriel grabbed a hold of her shoulder and turned her around to face him.

Tessa could tell that he was starting to get annoyed. "Please, go back to your bed." She was about to protest once more when he interrupted her. "If you must, I will go fetch Will for you."

Tessa smiled. "Thank you, Gabriel." He nodded in response and took off down the hallway.

* * *

Will rushed to infirmary as soon as he knew of Tessa's consciousness. As soon as he laid eyes on her, it seemed as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He had been worrying about her since she passed out. Now, Tessa was grimly smiling at him from across the room.

He moved to go sit with her, and was immediately pulled in to a tight embrace by his wife. Such embrace spoke more than a thousand words: _I miss him too. We will get through this. I love you. Don't cry. You are not alone. _

A knot formed in Will's throat as he returned it just as strong.

* * *

**Oh, my God I am so embarrassed with you guys. It has been a pregnancy (9 months ;) since I last updated, and I know you must be mad enough to go hunt me down with pitchforks, because I know I hate it when someone doesn't update, but I'm SORRY. I'm REALLY, REALLY SORRY. I know it will only sound as a lame-ass excuse if I say I got "a huge writer's block", but I did. Besides from that, I got extremely lazy to even make an effort in writing something. THERE. It feels good coming clean. **

**Anyway, from now on I will force myself to sit down and write a fifth chapter HOPEFULLY by the end of this month. PLEASE FORGIVE ME OH MY GOD I FEEL SO BAD. **

**Please review so I can keep improving my story for you guys. I STILL LOVE YOU EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT HATE ME XXX**


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